Inverted Minors
and deals with minor fit, no major suit in general
and deals with minor fit, no major suit in general
What do you do when your partner opens 1 of a minor and you have at most 3 cd majors, but support for your partners suit? You also may not like to bid 1NT or 2NT because you have one or both majors without (much) stopping power, or you may simply want to explore what your partner has. How do you handle it?
The following description works best when
You play better minors (not short club).
You use something like rule of 20 to open your hands with.
This ensures that the opener has at least a 3 card minor suit. In fact, 3 cd minor suit is relatively uncommon. It will only appear in a 4432 or 4333 type hand and because you are using rule of 20, this would rule out opening hands with 11 or even 12HCP with such flat hands. Hence, the likelihood is you have a 13+ HCP hand with a flat shape or a 11+ HCP hand with a good shape (e.g. like having good minor length). Either way, its ok to run with a inverted minor.
In practice the most common holding with a better minor opener is a 4 cards. That's what I assume when I see partner opening one of a minor.
The protocol described here uses the principles in LOTT, and cuebid limit raises and builds on it.
You have a good minor suit fit and no 4 card major. You very likely will have one or both weakly stopped major suits (otherwise, you'd bid 1NT or 2NT). Alternatively, you might have stops in the majors, but simply want to explore what your partner has with the intention of rebidding NT next.
All the following scenarios assume diamonds, but the same applies for clubs (with better minor)
With 10+ pts (including DP), 4+ diamonds, and opponents stay silent, you bid 2D (strong inverted minor). This shows 10+ points and is forcing one round to opener. If opener responds with a new suit - that is also forcing.
With 10+ pts, 4+ diamonds and opponents interfere with a overcall or X, you cuebid limit raise or redouble. Forcing one round to opener.
With 6-10 pts, 4+ diamonds and opponents interfere, bid 2D (ie strong inverted minor is off with interference).
With <7 pts or so, and a good diamond suit (5+ cds usually), jump to 3D with or without opponent interference (weak inverted minor).
With a diamond suit fit, your fallback position, if all else fails, is to sign off in a diamond contract.
"With 10+ pts (including DP), 4+ diamonds, and opponents stay silent, you bid 2D. This shows 10+ points and is forcing one round to partner."
Here, you are attempting to see if you have a game. This bid is invitational and is forcing one round to opener. Note that responder might be very strong (much stronger than 10 pts) and is simply doing this to elicit information from partner. Never pass.
Note that you are also denying 4 card majors and may be weak in one or both majors (since you avoided a NT bid).
You should prefer to end up in a NT contract. In an extreme case, opener should consider game contract or even slam in D.
1.1 Opener lacks a stop in an unbid suit
Opener bids his cheapest stopped suit. e.g. with hearts not stopped, bid 2S, with hearts stopped, bid 2H. A new suit is forcing to responder : responder will either bid 2NT, 3NT or simply rebid the diamond suit 3D. A "stopped suit" just means it is well stopped, not that it has 4+ cards.
Another possibility (rare) is that responder rebids a stopped suit. e.g. after a 2D by responder, opener rebids 2H, responder rebids 3C - implying spades is not stopped but responder has enough strength for game (probably around 13 pts).
Opener may may have only a long diamond suit and 2 or more risky suits. He will bid 3D (not forcing). This is usually a sign off unless responder is quite strong and is considering a 5D or 6D contract (probably at least a good opening hand himself).
1.2 Opener has reasonable stops in all unbid suits and is of up to moderate strength
Opener will bid 2NT or 3NT.
1.3 Opener is close to 19HCP (this is pretty rare)
Very likely opener will still bid 3NT with stops or 5D without. Opener can bid a new suit first just like 1.1 to force partner to show more information.
At this point in time, I do not suggest you try exploring for slam, but if you wish, a starting point is to bid a major suit (see 1.1) to see what responder's response is since it is forcing to responder. Any request for keycards or aces after that assumes diamond as the trump suit.
"With 10+ pts, 4+ diamonds and opponents interfere with a overcall or X, you cuebid limit raise or redouble."
It's actually pretty similar to scenario 1. In both cases, you are expressing an invite to partner. The difference in this case is that opponents are showing a suit so either opener or responder need excellent stops in their suit to bid NT. In a sense, opponents have provided you with good information about their hand.
All the description in scenario 1 apply : opener will bid a new suit (forcing) or NT. The fallback position is always a D contract.
"With 6-10 pts, 4+ diamonds and opponents interfere, bid 2D (ie strong inverted minor is off with interference)"
When opponents interfere, strong inverted minor is off. You are free to bid 2D to mean support for D and 6-9 pts. With 10+ points, you are in scenario 2.
"With <7 pts or so, and a good diamond suit (5+ cds usually), jump to 3D with or without opponent interference (weak inverted minor)"
A 3D bid (weak inverted minor) is basically an application of LOTT.
With the strong inverted minor, it is off when opponents interfere. With the weak inverted minor, it is always ON even if opponents interfere.